1 847-49-] DISMISSAL OF HIS SECRETARY. 9 



Having just arrived at New York, at the begin- 

 ning of May, 1848, I received, through A. Mayor, 

 an urgent invitation from Agassiz, to visit him and 

 spend a few weeks at his house in Cambridge, pre- 

 paratory to an extensive tour in his company to 

 Lake Superior. I had been only a few days at Cam- 

 bridge when I found myself involved in the turmoil 

 of the personal difficulties between Agassiz and his 

 secretary. The first who spoke to me of the matter 

 was Desor, who endeavoured to prejudice me against 

 Agassiz, and succeeded to a certain extent. How- 

 ever, from the start it did not please me that a man 

 who, ten years before, had come to Neuchatel, un- 

 known and without means, should speak so harshly 

 and so inconsiderately of the person who had re- 

 ceived him more than kindly, had made him an in- 

 mate of his household, given him every opportunity 

 to rise in the world, and even taught him natural 

 history. Agassiz saw at once that I was influenced 

 to some extent by his secretary, and invited me to 

 a private talk. There he unburdened his heart, 

 sometimes sobbing and crying like a child. It was 

 extremely painful to him to be so ill-treated by one 

 who owed everything to him, although he was much 

 attached to Desor, whose qualities as a secretary and 

 assistant were highly praised and valued by him. At 

 the end of our long talk, Agassiz declared that he 

 would have no further connection of any sort with 

 Desor, and begged me, as the greatest favour he had 

 ever asked any one, to go to East Boston and tell Desor 



